Clay County, FL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing clause
- § IV.5.A(3)(a)-(c)
- Consequence
- Hauler may skip pickup
- Applies to
- Hand Pickup Service customers
- No separate fine
- Unless waste accumulates 7+ days
Summary
Clay County's solid waste ordinance lets a franchised hauler skip a household's collection outright if garbage, rubbish or yard trash is mixed in with the recyclables, or if trash is set out on the wrong scheduled day. The rule pushes the source-separation burden onto the resident, not the hauler.
(3)Waste Collection. Franchisee shall make collections with a minimum of noise and disturbance. Any spillage by the Franchisee during the collection and disposal process shall be picked up and removed by Franchisee.(a)The presence of any Yard Trash or Rubbish on the scheduled day for Garbage pickup shall be due cause not to pick up the Solid Waste in question.(b)The presence of any Garbage on the scheduled day for Rubbish and Yard Trash pickup will be due cause not to pick up the Solid Waste in question.(c)The presence of any Garbage, Rubbish or Yard Trash mixed with Recyclable Materials will be due cause not to pick up the Solid Waste in question.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 86).
Full Breakdown
A(3) of the Solid Waste Franchising and Collection Ordinance governs how Hand Pickup Service haulers must handle waste at the curb, and its three clauses set out when a franchisee is entitled to leave waste behind. Clause (a) makes the presence of yard trash or rubbish on the scheduled garbage day 'due cause' for the hauler not to collect it; clause (b) does the same for garbage left out on the rubbish or yard trash day; and clause (c) applies the identical rule to any garbage, rubbish or yard trash found mixed with recyclable materials, meaning contaminated recycling bins can simply be passed over.
1: 'Recyclable Material' is material suitable for recycling that has undergone 'Source Separation,' defined as setting the material aside from the rest of the waste stream at the point of generation, and 'Recycling' is any process that reuses or returns such separated material to use. 4.
Violations & Fines
There is no separate fine on a resident for contaminating a recycling bin: Section IV.5.A(3)(c) instead authorizes the franchisee to simply refuse the pickup, and the ordinance doesn't list this subsection among the specific civil infractions enumerated in Section VIII.5.A. Repeated contamination that leaves solid waste accumulating on a property for more than seven days can, however, trigger the separate accumulation violation under Section VI.1, which the Division or Clay County Codes Enforcement Division can enforce with a 24-hour correction notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I put trash in my recycling bin?
Will I be fined for a contaminated recycling bin in Clay County?
Can I put recycling and yard trash out on the same day in the same container?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clay County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Clay County to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
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